About this collection

John A. Sargeant was the founder of Sargeant Studios, a prominent photography studio based in Columbia, South Carolina that operated from 1918-1940. This collection contains a small group of Sargeant Studios news photography depicting accidents, crime and weather events from 1928 to 1939. A brief biography of John A. Sargeant and information about Sargeant Studios is provided below, along with additional sources for further reading.

Additional photographs from Sargeant Studios

In addition to the photographs from Sargeant Studios included in this collection, photographs from the photographers of Sargeant Studios can be found in our other digital collections. View all photographs from Sargeant Studios and from studio photographer Charles Old in all Local History digital collections.

About John A. Sargeant

John A. Sargeant led an interesting life as a photographer from 1915 to 1940 and as Richland County Coroner from 1932 until his death in 1942. John Sargeant was born in 1886 in Augusta and moved to Columbia around 1906. He first worked in a cigar store until 1915 when he became an assistant in the photography studio of Walter Blanchard. During World War I he served as camp photographer at Camp Jackson, and after the War he opened his own studio on Main Street in Columbia. Between 1930 and 1937 he was joined by photographer Charles Old. The photographers at Sargeant Studios captured panoramic views, portraits, class photographs, press photographs, floods, accidents, and other significant events in the history of Columbia and the surrounding areas. After John Sargeant retired in 1940 Sargeant Studios continued to be run by Curtiss Munn for several years. His funeral at Ebenezer Lutheran Church was attended by a host of Columbians.

Sources about John A. Sargeant

Teal, Harvey S. Partners with the Sun : South Carolina Photographers, 1840–1940. Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina Press, 2001. View in Catalog

“Rites for J. A. Sargeant to be this afternoon.” The State, October 29, 1942 page 10.